2 Live Crew’s Luther Campbell On Nevin Shapiro: “He’s on the Bin Laden list around here.”

Appearing on today’s 3 Hour Lunch radio show, former 2 Live Crew rapper Luther “Luke” Campbell discussed inequities in NCAA treatment of players, his opinions of Nevin Shapiro, and the past and future of Miami Hurricane athletics. As always I’d encourage you to listen to the entire interview here. It was wide-ranging and fascinating. But here are some details that I’ve pulled from today’s radio interview.

Asked if Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, the man who levied a bevy of allegations against the Hurricane program this week, will ever be able to live in Miami again, Campbell replied: “Never in the history. I don’t believe he’s going to be able to live anywhere in the United States of America. I mean, he’s on the Bin Laden list around here.” Asked if there are people who would do him physical harm based on the revelations, Campbell replied, “I’m pretty sure of that. Not me. I wouldn’t put a hand on him because I feel like when people do things (like this guy) he has to live with that internally…he’s got to sit in that jail cell…and he can’t ask God for no forgiveness because there ain’t no forgiveness for a person like that.”

Asked if Shapiro might face dangers in jail, Campbell replied, “I told all the thugs, look, (find out) whatever prison he’s located in and make sure they put him in the general population.”

Campell also offered deep criticism of the current NCAA system. “The NCAA in my opinion is pimping all these kids. These kids need to get paid.” Now a high school football coach, Campbell says he sees the NCAA hyprocrisy first hand. Referencing all the money that football and basketball make schools, Campbell explained that parents are stunned to discover that a scholarship isn’t a four-year guarantee.

“I gotta explain to parents that (scholarships) are one year. There’s no such thing as a four-year ride. They’re pimping these kids,” Campbell said. He continued, “Kids can’t even buy a pair of shoes, but they can play themselves on a PlayStation game? It’s modern-day slavery.”

The NCAA investigatory process is also a system that hasn’t evolved much in the past two decades years. Back then NCAA investigators looked into Campbell’s relationship with Hurricane players. “I was investigated by the NCAA 21 years ago. They came to my house said we got all these stories and all that. The University of Miami was never given any sanction based on any findings of that (the allegations) to be the truth. That never happened. People made those stories up.”

Similarly, Campbell believes Nevin Shapiro has made up most of his allegatiosn as well. “It should be a red flag that goes up when a guy (like Nevin Shapiro) comes with a $150,000 check. As soon as he gives you that check, he wants to run your program. Right then you should give him his money back…Because he wants to run your program.”

Campbell continued his criticism of Shapiro, “He (Shapiro) has no credibility, because when you steal $900 million in a Ponzi scheme…you have to tell some great lies…This guy is a great liar. I believe nothing that he says.”

Campbell says he’s talked to lots of Miami players named in the story and, “99.1%, 100% of them say they never took a dime from him.” Indeed, Campbell says, “the guys said he used our pictures in his office and in his business to extort other University of Miami alumni and fans. He told them, these NFL players who played at Miami are investing in my company….He was extorting people and saying that’s what those players were doing. He’s been using the university from day one.”

Campbell says Hurricane players told him they hadn’t invested with Shapiro. Campbell also cited one particular incorrect detail that NCAA investigators confronted a current player with in a recent interview. Campbell says that Shapiro wrongly informed the NCAA that Campbell owned a night club that the players hung out in. “I don’t own that night club,” Campbell said. “He’s (Shapiro’s) a liar.”

Campbell also talked about current Miami quarterback Jacory Harris: “I know the kid’s father, I coach high school football with him right now. His father is a very successful person. His mother is successful…these are people that don’t need a guy like that (Shapiro) to give them money.”

Campbell’s distrust of Shapiro isn’t a recent feeling. He says he hasn’t trusted Shapiro since their first meeting: “When I met this guy, he said, ‘Hey, Luke I need you to go into business with me because I need to start a sports agency to recruit kids and I know you know a lot of kids in the community because you have these youth programs that’s been around for 25 years.'”

Campbell didn’t believe Shapiro then and doesn’t now: “If you had these great relationships, why would you need me? He’s lying.”